


Catch Twenty-Loki

by Happy_Loner_Mushroom



Series: Road to the Multiship [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Intersex Loki (Marvel), M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 14:55:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14475120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happy_Loner_Mushroom/pseuds/Happy_Loner_Mushroom
Summary: Thor is Stressed, because he's got a ship to run, and a relationship with his brother that takes an equal amount of work to fix. Oh, and apparently he is Hulk's therapist now too.Meanwhile, Loki has got a Tesseract to deal with, and a big, idiot brother to take care of.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! I'm so excited to finally be doing a Thorki fanfiction, because if my bookmarks folder is any indication, this is definitely my OTP haha. Anyways, here's my version of what if we totally ignored that post-credit scene where Thanos's ship pops the fuck out of nowhere, and just let these two be angsty all on their own for a little while longer. 
> 
> As you may or may not have noticed, this fic is the first in a series of interconnected fics of other ships I have. Gonna see how this works before I post the other parts though probably.
> 
> P.S. I know the title is stupid as fuck, but honestly, I don't care. Haha I read Catch 22 recently, and it's my favorite book now. The time I read the book and started this fic just happened to conicide and caused me to make that reference, even though that might or might not ever show up in this fic again.

During his time on Earth, Thor had learned an interesting phrase from Jane: Catch-22. As Jane had explained it to him, it was a paradoxical situation from which an individual could not escape because of contradictory rules.

 

Case in point: Thor wanted Loki to stay, but could not get Loki to stay. Why? Because Loki always insisted on running away from Thor at any sign of Thor’s affection for him. However, Loki would not stay unless he had proof that Thor wanted him to stay. Loki was a Catch-22.

 

This revelation occured to Thor during his conversation with Korg right before he got pummeled into the ground by Hulk. So, with that in mind, Thor realised what he had to do if he wanted to convince his brother to stay.

 

He had to let go. He had to admit defeat in a battle he could only lose, and let his brother decide whether or not he wanted to stay.

 

It reminded him of another phrase he’d learned on Midgard. “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours. If not, it was never meant to be,” Tony had told him once. It was a decidedly cheesier phrase, Thor had learned, but it seemed to hold some truth nonetheless.

 

The result of his actions came when, lo and behold, Loki sat in the seat beside him in their very first meeting as a steering committee for their new, temporarily long-term home.

 

Their people, for the moment, were asked to settle themselves in the largest observation hall on board, while Thor figured out what the hell he was supposed to do as a newly-inaugurated king. Around the round table of the meeting room sat Heimdall, the Valkyrie, Korg, and Loki; all giving him their utmost attention.

 

“We need to take a census and start assigning rooms,” Heimdall started.

 

Thor eagerly nodded. He could always depend on Heimdall’s wisdom in guiding him.

 

“We’ll also need to take stock of our food supplies, and decide how to ration that,” the Valkyrie said with a glint in her eye.

 

It had to be the fact that she wanted to know how much booze they had, Thor decided. She only ever seemed engaged by violence and booze. Still, she did make a good point about checking on their food supplies, and Thor agreed with her point.

 

“It’ll probably be a good idea to figure out how long this journey will take then,” Korg added. “Also, how much fuel we have, and if we’ll need to make stops to refuel.”

 

Thor rubbed at his beard at the mounting load of problems they had to deal with. It was likely that they were not going to be properly settled into the ship for the first several weeks as they finished every task and tried to solve every problem that would no doubt arise along the way.

 

“Okay, we’ll gather some volunteers for each of the tasks, and report back here for another meeting to decide how to proceed once they’re completed,” Thor concluded.

 

This seemed to placate them as everyone but Loki and himself left to begin their tasks. Thor sighed once they left, and found himself turning to face Loki with relief.

 

Except Loki was staring at him with _that look_. The one that was smug and condescending and was begging Thor to ask Loki what he had missed.

 

“What?” Thor asked dumbly, too tired to put up with Loki.

 

As if on cue, there was a loud crash that reverberated through the room. Loki pointed a finger in the direction of the noise, and said, “I believe you still have a very big, green problem that needs your immediate attention.”

 

Hulk. In the midst of their chaotic past couple of days, Thor had pushed aside the concern Banner had about the Hulk. The one in which Banner might be gone forever, embroiled in the everlasting rage of Hulk. It had not been a problem at the time, and had in fact helped in the battle to protect their people.

 

However, Banner’s sacrifice might now lead to the destruction of the ship that was their last stronghold as Asgard.  

 

“Norns, how am I gonna get Banner back?” Thor thought out loud. He scrubbed his face before turning to Loki. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to transform into a certain, red-headed mortal would you?”

 

Loki’s smug smirk dropped in an instant. He got up from beside Thor, and shook his head.

 

“I absolutely refuse to do that. Besides, my magic is not meant for you to solve your silly problems with.”

 

“This coming from the man who turned into a snake just to stab me,” Thor deadpanned.

 

Loki swiveled on his heel to face him. “That’s different!”

 

“Well, what do you exactly plan on helping me with then, brother? If not this, then what?” Thor challenged. He stood up and crossed his arms in expectation at the rich answer Loki was going to give him.

 

Loki held his chin high, the smug certainty back again.

 

“I believe there are quite a lot of tasks that I’m going to be quite capable in accomplishing for you. In the meantime, I suggest you go check on the green monstrosity before he destroys the ship.”

 

“Are you sure you’re still not referring to yourself with that last part?” Thor couldn’t help teasing.

 

The remark earned him a swift smack to his arm. He ducked as Loki moved in for another punch, and managed to secure Loki’s other wrist before grabbing the one that dove back for another swing.

 

He felt a sharp pain in his groin as Loki brought his knee up between his legs. The pain caused Thor to release both wrists, but he still managed to fend off another swing with his forearm blocking Loki’s hand.

 

Another loud bang echoed into the room, and caused both of them to pause. Straightening up, Loki stepped back from Thor.

 

“Go fix that, before it becomes an even worse problem,” Loki snapped before storming out of the room.

 

“Great talk,” Thor groaned as the pain began to fade, and he straightened himself up as well.

 

?#@*&%!

 

As it turned out, Hulk was in the storage area with the Valkyrie. Another reverberation rung out as he moved a large box for the woman to reach.

 

“Thank you, big guy,” she said with a rare smile.

 

Thor watched the interaction from a distance just around the corner of the entrance to the area.

 

So, he wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

 

Who could blame him? Where was he even supposed to start? Without the recording of Black Widow, and with Loki’s refusal to help, Thor was unsure with how to proceed in solving the situation. Only one thing was certain, Thor couldn't let the Hulk stay on the ship for too long. As much as he loved the guy, he was just too much of a liability in causing irreparable damage to the ship.

 

It was with that thought that Thor steeled himself, and finally approached the two.

 

“Hiya there. How's it going with the stock?” He tried to approach casually.

 

The Valkyrie looked up at him with annoyance. She rolled her eyes, and took a swig from a bottle already  her hand.

 

Thor decided to dismiss the obvious wrong with that to instead focus on Hulk, who was not even paying attention to Thor.

 

They were off to a great start already.

 

“Um, Valkyrie, can I call you that? You know what, conversation for next time. Anyways, would you mind if you left Hulk and I to talk for a second?”

 

That caught Hulk’s attention, who grumbled at the disruption Thor was causing. The Valkyrie narrowed her eyes at Thor, but eventually sighed and began to move.

 

As she passed him, the Valkyrie whispered to Thor, “I'm not saving you, if you rile him up again.”

 

It's odd that all his confidants seemed to be against him right?

 

“Duly noted,” Thor called out to her receding form.

 

He turned back to Hulk who was digging a single large finger through the goods in the box in front of him.

 

“So, Hulk, uh, how are you liking the ship?” Thor started.

 

It earned him only a grunt from the man.

 

“You know, I'm actually not sure how long this trip to Earth is going to take, but I imagine it'll be a while.”

 

Hulk turned to him with the slightest sign of interest. Good, it was all Thor needed to continue.

 

“Yeah, I'm thinking, ah, at least longer than six months. Yup, definitely longer than that,” Thor lied. He had no clue how long this trip would take, but either way he still had to do his best to get Banner back.

 

Hulk eyed him in suspicion, and grunted again. “Why tell me?”

 

“Oh, well, I just thought I'd let you know, seeing as you'll probably be bored out of your mind on this stinking ship by the end of the month!”

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, because, Hulk,” Thor started slowly. He swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing, “There's not a lot here that you can smash.”

 

“Hulk can smash anything!” Hulk exclaimed with a swift fist crushing the box he was looking through.

 

And there went probably a week of rations, Thor thought. He held up his hands in a placating manner.

 

“I know you can smash anything, buddy. Trust me, _I do_. What I meant was, I really need you to not smash anything. The ship is…fragile, and we really need to preserve all the supplies we can.”

 

The scowl Hulk had on only lightened ever so slightly.

 

“Come on, big guy. I'm asking you to not smash, please?” Thor dropped his hands to his sides, and his shoulders drooped down with them. He wasn't sure if any of this was getting across to Hulk. “There are people on this ship that I'm responsible for. That I have to protect no matter what, and they don't deserve to go through anymore than they just did.”

 

Thor hadn't meant for it, but he found his own words making him sad. The weight of the truth in them made his head hang even lower.

 

He was _king_ , yet he wasn't sure he was prepared for it even now. Even with the help of his friends, could Thor really do right by his people? He did just destroy the only home they ever knew, and force them into this foreign ship, hurtling to a foreign world in the hopes of starting over.

 

Then there was Loki. His Catch-22. Thor wasn't sure what to do with him now that he'd managed to actually get him to stay, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to do anything without Loki.

 

“No smashing does sound boring,” Hulk said.

 

Snapping out of his thoughts, but unable to shake the weight of them, Thor looked up at the bigger man.

 

“Yeah, I know, Hulk…which is why I was wondering if you might want to let Banner out instead?”

 

Hulk growled at the mention of the other man. His fists tightened.

 

“Puny Banner?”

 

“Yup, Banner is pretty puny, there's no doubt about that. But, you know what? Puny Banner would definitely be totally psyched to be on an alien spaceship that he could explore and research. When you think about it, big guy, it's almost like a win-win. You don't have to suffer through a long, boring trip, and Banner gets to enjoy a trip on an alien spaceship,” Thor said. He mustered a smile and thumbs up to try and convince the man further.

 

Hulk snorted in thought. He looked at the smashed crate of food rations under his fist, before turning back to Thor.

 

“Don't know…how to get puny Banner back,” he admitted.

 

Thor gave the smallest of smiles. This was a start, and he could work with it.

 

“Hm, well, let me work on it for the night, and I’ll get back to you tomorrow. In the meantime, I have your word that no smashing will be done?”

 

Thor was sure Hulk just rolled his eyes at him, before answering, “Hulk no smash.”

 

Jeez, the Valkyrie sure was having an impact on the big guy if the eye roll was any indication. “Alright, thank you, buddy!” Thor said to the man, before excusing himself.

 

?#@*&%!  

 

Although there was no difference between day and night, Thor could feel the exhaustion down to his bones by the time they finished assigning rooms.

 

The Statesman turned out to have far less rooms than expected, and the steering committee had to make the arduous decision of how they were going to assign rooms.

 

In the end, families took priority in claiming larger rooms, while many had to double or triple up as roommates. Some common rooms even had to be converted into makeshift rooms, with Loki graciously creating temporary doors for those areas.

 

Food was another matter that had to be taken care of quickly in order to feed everyone. Thor helped in taking inventory of all the food they had, and afterwards helped serve once the volunteer cooks had finished their jobs.

 

By the time Thor arrived in his own quarters, after making his rounds through the whole of the ship twice, he had completely forgotten the small matter of his own roommate.

 

That is, until he entered the room to find it looking completely unlike any other part of the ship.

 

“Loki,” he growled at his brother, who was strewn across a plush velvet sofa with a book in his hand.

 

The room had been transformed into something almost grander than their old quarters in the palace. The once carpeted floor was now a pattern of shaded wood tiles, and the metallic walls were now an intricate, baroque pattern of blue, green, and gold. The walls of the bed nook were now a rich mahogany with satin sheets that matched the wallpaper. A thick velvet curtain surrounded the nook, and swarths of the fabric hung from the ceiling in buttresses. The table and dresser were now also a rich mahogany, and, somehow, Loki had managed to conjure up a velvet-lined couch set that surrounded the front of the window.

 

Loki, finally peeking up from his book at Thor, smiled in innocence. “What do you think? I was really caught between this or a more contemporary look.”

 

“I think you need to get rid of all of this.”

 

Loki pouted. “Maybe you’d like the contemporary look better then,” he said with a snap of his fingers.

 

The walls of the room turned into a pure white, and the floors became a light-colored wood. The grandiose furniture became a sleek grey set, and the candles lighting the room turned into clear bright lighting.

 

“I suppose we could try mid-century, but I’d really rather not. It clashes with my outfits,” Loki told him as he turned back to his book.

 

“Loki!” Thor exclaimed. He moved towards his brother, who was just as quick to move. Loki grumbled, tossed the book onto the coffee table beside him, and stood up. He looked at Thor, arms akimbo, with a peeved expression, as if _Thor was the one in the wrong here_.

 

“What?” Loki questioned him this time. Indignation clear in the single syllable.

 

Thor crossed his arms across his chest. “Get rid of it. Turn it back to normal right now.”

 

“Why would I do a thing like that?”

 

“How can we live in such a state when our people are forced into the cramped conditions of sleeping in common rooms,” he said, gesturing wildly just for emphasis.

 

“Thor, as I am forced to be your roommate for the foreseeable future, there is a certain state of decorum that I require to live in. No less will do. For the record, it isn’t like we aren’t living in cramped conditions as well. This room is so small that we must suffer through sharing a bed as well.”

 

Thor sighed, and rubbed his beard. He was tired, and he knew how to pick his battles with Loki.

 

“Alright, brother, we shall leave this issue for another day. I require sleep now, so will you be going to bed now as well?”

 

Loki’s smile faltered at the question, and Thor saw how his eyes flickered to the bed nook.

 

“Oh come now, Loki. We used to share a bed all the time when we were babes. I used to sneak back into your bed even when we were old enough for our own rooms,” Thor reasoned.

 

“Alright, alright. Give me but a moment,” Loki conceded. He turned towards the connecting bathroom, and closed the door behind him.  

 

It left Thor to study the white and gray room. He frowned at the unsettling cold atmosphere it created, and called out to Loki, “On second thought, I like the velvet and mahogany better.”

 

The room transformed back to its previous regal glory with not so much as a peep coming out of the bathroom door.

 

“Thank you,” Thor said before he began stripping himself of his garments, only leaving on the nifty pair of boxers he had began wearing during his time on Midgard.

 

He would have to look into what they were going to do about their clothing shortage. No one on the ship owned a single item of clothing more than what they had on their backs. Perhaps Loki would have some ideas about the matter.

 

The thought of Loki led Thor back to his current predicament of having Loki as a bed partner. He wondered if his brother would be okay sleeping next to him in his current state. After all, they hadn’t had close contact, besides during violent fights, with each other in quite a while.

 

As Thor put away his boots, and continued to think about both pressing issues, he heard the door to the bathroom open. He turned to find Loki exiting the bathroom.

 

With Loki clad in only a pair of black boxers that were both shorter and tighter than his own pair, Thor decided he could drop his worries about his own sleep attire.

 

“I’ll take the side closest to the wall, if you don’t mind,” Loki told him without looking up from where he was putting away his own clothing.

 

“Sure, whatever you want,” Thor grumbled as he moved to use the bathroom himself.

 

After finishing his ministrations, Thor entered the room to find Loki already tucked into bed, and already sprawled out like a starfish.

 

“Brother, you try me,” Thor said softly as he lifted the covers and shoved Loki’s unwanted limbs towards his side of the bed. No doubt, Loki was still awake (he was always a very troubled sleeper), and he was doing this simply to mess with Thor.

 

Thor climbed in without another word, but immediately felt the covers recede away from him as Loki turned to face towards the wall.

 

Now, was Thor tired? Yes, but he had already conceded to Loki about the decor of their room, and he was not about to let his Little Shit of a brother hog all the blankets.

 

Thor grabbed an edge of the blanket draping off of Loki’s back, and pulled it towards himself. The resistance of Loki tugging on the blanket made him tug even harder, until Loki was turning onto his back, no longer feigning sleep, so he could tug the blanket towards himself harder.

 

This was ridiculous. Thor wasn’t sure why Loki was doing this. Then yet again, Loki often did things without any reason, besides to placate his own whims.

 

But the day had been long. The past couple of days—years, in fact—had been long, and Thor just wanted to sleep. With that in mind, Thor stopped struggling against Loki’s pull for only a moment, before he mustered all his strength to tug the blanket from Loki.

 

Within a split second, Thor felt the weight of Loki and the blanket fly over him and off of the bed completely. The resulting thud of Loki’s body meeting the floor distracted Thor from noticing the grip Loki had placed on his forearm. Thor felt his own body make contact with the hard floor, and he reached out to grab his brother.

 

Loki kneed him once again, but this time missing Thor’s groin just by a hair, and began struggling to slap away Thor’s outstretched, clawing hands. Feeling he had enough of an upperhand, Thor threw his weight towards Loki, until he was straddling his little brother with a heave that sounded like, “Loki! Stop it!”

 

Loki continued his attempts to slap away Thor’s ever-grasping hands, but eventually sighed in defeat once Thor finally managed to secure each of his wrists in his hands.

 

“Enough! Brother, please, enough!” Thor said, voice hoarse and more brusque than he had intended.

 

Loki was a Catch-22. The only way Thor could ever get his attention was when Thor was angry enough to yell at him, yet somehow Thor knew it was never Loki’s real intention to truly anger him.

 

But the damage had been done, and Thor was exhausted. He had wanted to sleep, to hopefully rid himself of the weight of all his worries about Asgard, about Loki, in a peaceful manner. But now he was tired, irritated, and probably more hysterical than he had ever been.

 

“Why, Loki? Why do you try me like this? Have we not both quarreled enough? You have arguably lost more than I have in these past years, and yet, you continue on with these silly games as if nothing is wrong. As if both of us do not need peace or a period of calm to grieve for what we have lost.”

 

Thor did not realise how close his face was to Loki’s until he saw the tears coming from his own eye land against Loki’s pale cheek. His brother stared up at him with a speechless astonishment that was a rarity for Loki. He released his grip on Loki’s wrist as he moved to sit on the floor next to Loki. He wiped at the tears, and turned away from Loki.

 

They sat in silence for what seemed to be forever, until Thor felt a hand clasp around his shoulder gently. Thor looked at Loki, who was staring at the floor with a strained face.

 

“I am…not sure of what to do,” Loki admitted to Thor, finally turning to look him in the eye. He seemed so vulnerable now, and Thor watched him swallow before continuing, “You know that the people of Midgard will not greet me kindly, so the best decision for me would be to leave.”

 

Thor took a sharp intake of breath at Loki’s words, and the tears came even harder. After all he had done, was Loki truly considering leaving again? Thor feared if he ever let Loki go again, it would be for the last time, and he was not sure if he could bear his absence again. Especially if Thor knew that Loki was just floundering somewhere out in the universe with no intention of ever seeing him again.  

 

“However, you told me before that you believed I could be…more. Well, I’m here now, but I'm at a loss at what to do. I don't know where I stand with you, and if you even welcome my presence any longer.”

 

Loki always pushed him away harder every time Thor tried to get closer, even if getting closer was what Loki wanted.

 

Thor reached out for the hand Loki had on his shoulder, and clasped it against his chest.

 

“Loki, there have been quite a lot of beliefs I've shed over the past couple of years, and even within just the past days,” Thor started, holding the vulnerable gaze of his brother as he continued, “No matter what though, you remain my brother. The one I want most at my side. Because you and I are unstoppable as long as we are together, and that is a belief I will never lose. Midgard is but nothing compared to the apocalypse we just brought upon our own kingdom,” he finished, bringing Loki’s hand up to his lips.

 

“Please, brother. Let us move forward without letting our past hold us down,” he whispered against Loki’s knuckles.

 

Thor knew he could never rid Loki of the distrust in his heart. He would remain ever cautious and calculating, but Thor could do his damndest best to get rid of as much doubt in Loki as was possible.

 

For once, there was no snide remark at Thor’s ridiculous sentimentality, or an angry insult snapped in order to push Thor away. Instead, Thor watched Loki’s chest rise in a deep breath before Loki graced him with a gentle nod.

 

“Let us sleep. It has been a long day,” Loki said as he got up first.

 

Thor followed suit, and soon found himself comfortably tucked away beside Loki, who had turned his back to him. He was disappointed by Loki’s response, but he hadn't expected more from Loki either.

 

Thor fell into a restless slumber soon enough.

 

?#@*&%!  

 

Not even a week had gone by before Thor found Loki and himself at each other's throats again.

 

“You are being ridiculous about this. Really, we could have this whole issue sorted if you'd just transform into her for not even five minutes!” Thor said.

 

They were in another steering committee meeting. It had been a long week, but many tasks had been finished.

 

However, many issues still remained to be solved.

 

There was the issue that they only had enough food rations and fuel for a six month long journey, when the journey to Midgard was calculated to take _two_ _years_. It was heralding news about the struggle that they would no doubt face in the coming months.

 

Plus, there was the issue of Hulk, which Thor had spent the last week unsuccessfully trying to solve. Every lullaby, meditation session, attempt at hypnosis, and yoga position Thor tried did nothing to help revert Hulk back to Banner.

 

It only made Hulk grow almost as frustrated as Thor was at the moment, which is what led Thor to his second, desperate appeal to Loki to solve the issue.

 

“Okay, and once you've solved the issue of getting Banner back, what do you plan on doing the next time he accidentally slips?” Loki snapped back, arms crossed and tone as condescending as ever. “You realise that once Banner knows that I was the one who created the illusion, Hulk will be aware of it as well. What will we do the next time Hulk needs to be put to sleep, and he sees through my façade?”

 

Oh. Thor had not considered that. He turned away from his brother in thought, before sighing in defeat. Loki was right. Although Hulk could be narrow-minded at times, he was smart enough not to fall for the same trap. The same could not be said for Thor, which was probably why he had not realised the problem with his solution.

 

“Well, what are we going to do about him, then?” Thor asked to the entire table. He ran a hand through his hair. With the loss of his eye, his hair, and his hammer, Thor had gained many new nervous ticks that he practiced with each growing issue.

 

“We need a more permanent solution to Hulk, if we are expected to survive these next two years.” Loki laced his fingers together in contemplation. “You’ll have to work with him, talk with him, and try to get him and Banner to work something out.”

 

Thor internalized his groan. He wasn't sure how capable he would be as Hulk’s therapist, but there seemed to be no other options.

 

“Shall we move on from this topic for now?” Heimdall cut in.

 

Thor nodded, gesturing for Heimdall to say his piece.

 

“As you know, we should be coming into contact with a planet in three weeks time,” Heimdall said. As he spoke, he pulled up the holograms of their charted course, and the planet they would be coming across. “We need to decide our course of action for when we arrive there. I've been able to determine that the cultivation of the planet is compatible with our needs.”

 

“That is fantastic news. Is there anything we can barter with the civilization there?” Thor asked.

 

“I'm afraid we might not. From what I can see, the civilization is even less developed than those on Midgard. It would be reckless to trade weapons with them, but there is not much else we can offer.”

 

Thor traced the edge of his eye patch, and stared at the hologram in thought. What were they going to do?

 

“If the civilization is as primitive as you say it is, then it would not be hard for us to just take what we need,” Loki said plainly.

 

Thor responded faster than he could turn to Loki. “Absolutely not,” he snapped. “We will not be pillaging or stealing from anyone.”

 

“What do you suggest we do then, Thor?”

 

“We could just ask them nicely,” Korg piped in.

 

Thor ignored both of them, and turned to the man on his left side. “Heimdall, how long would it take for us to reach a planet that is advanced enough to barter our weapons with?”

 

The telltale glow of Heimdall’s eyes increased Thor’s anticipation. He watched as the Heimdall’s lips drew in an even grimmer line.

 

“It would take a year.”

 

Thor looked to the Valkyrie and Korg, but the two remained silent and stared at him expectantly.

 

“Sit on your options for another week, and decide then,” Heimdall said.

 

Thor nodded at the suggestion, and kept his guilt contained for the rest of the meeting within the constant traces of his eye patch.

 

?#@*&%!

 

It was utterly ridiculous. Thor hated it, and he was sure Hulk hated it, but they had to at least try this therapy thing before he went back to begging Loki for help.

 

On Midgard, Thor had seen a therapist once. It was on TV, with a man spread out on a couch, as the therapist asked questions and took notes.

 

It could not be said that Thor did not try at the very least. After procuring an empty room with a couch Hulk could barely lie on, and seating himself in a seat across from Hulk, Thor began the session with the first question he could manage to come up with.

 

“So, Hulk, um, what do you think about Banner?” Thor asked with a scratch to his neck. He had managed to find a pen and pad of paper to keep in his lap, but he wasn't sure he even knew what to write down.

 

“Puny,” came Hulk’s reply.

 

Thor made a quick scribble: _Banner = puny_.

 

“Okay, and why do you think he is puny?”

 

“Banner is small, even smaller than Thor.”

 

Recognizing that right now was not the time to rise up to the insult, Thor continued, “Last time I talked to Banner, he said that having the Hulk in control for the past two years was like you having complete control of the steering wheel, and him being locked in the trunk…is that what's happening right now, Hulk?  

 

Hulk, who had been staring at the ceiling and doing his best to relax with a couch poking into his back, turned to Thor with a face that almost seemed to be in thought.

 

“No.”

 

“No? Why? What's different?” Thor asked as he took note of the new discovery.

 

Hulk was silent for a moment before he finally answered, “Banner is gone.”

 

Thor almost dropped the pen and pad. “What do you mean he's gone?” He asked, more strained than he had intended to be.

 

Hulk shrugged his big shoulders, and sat up on the flattened couch. “Banner silent. No fight. Not there ”

 

Thor’s mouth went dry. It was impossible. Banner himself had once said he could not be killed, and yet Hulk would not lie about such a thing.

 

Bruce could be…dead.

 

And it would be his fault, because he had ignored all of Bruce's concerns. It would be his fault, because Bruce had sacrificed himself for a people that were not even his own. The thought of it was enough for Thor to end the session right then and there.

 

He walked out of the room with nothing but a rotten mix of shock and solemnity across his face and at his core.

 

?#@*&%!

 

Loki was doing good. Thanks to his seidr, he'd managed to preserve an extra month’s worth of food rations. He'd taken charge of working with the kitchen staff to create a rationed meal plan that was still delicious. He’d planned the entire mass funeral that was coming up. He’d helped organise the workforce, and the ship was running more efficiently than ever. He'd even mediated several disputes between citizens.

 

The people seemed to hold no ill will towards his previous deceptions, and they welcomed him even. The Valkyrie no longer looked at him with suspicion after the lucrative truce he'd made with her that involved letting her take more of the alcohol than was rationed. (No one else was really drinking it anyways, not when there was a whole ship to settle into, and then keep running).

 

Loki was doing good…but there remained one small matter that was actually quite a bigger problem than Loki wanted to admit.

 

After the steering committee meeting, Loki made his way to one of the emptied, locked storage areas. He looked out at the window and studied the stars as he waited. He felt a chill as he looked out at the wide expanse of darkness, and turned away. There was the thought that if he stared too long into the abyss, something would start staring back at him.

 

“Loki,” Heimdall greeted him after his silent entrance five minutes later.

 

Loki turned to Heimdall, who didn’t seem all too impressed to be called upon. Loki smiled anyways, and spoke courteously, “Heimdall, thank you for answering my message.”

 

Heimdall was silent for a moment. Loki did his best not to squirm. Even as a child, Heimdall always seemed as though he could see exactly what Loki was thinking.

 

“I assume this is about the Tesseract,” Heimdall said.

 

Loki nodded, and clasped his hands behind his back. “It is.”

 

“And why call on me about it? What are you planning, Loki?”

 

Loki was sure Heimdall already had a very good guess about what his plans were, but appreciated the man letting him announce it himself.

 

“Well, as you know, I could not have gotten away from Asgard before it was destroyed, if it wasn’t for the tesseract transporting me aboard. You’ve already predicted that our course to Midgard will take two years, which will cause several problems by itself…except it doesn’t have to.”

 

“You want to use the Tesseract to perform interdimensional travel on the entire ship to get us to Midgard sooner.”

 

“I do.”

 

Heimdall’s expression was unreadable. But Loki could tell that he was at least considering it.

 

“Harnessing the Tesseract’s power in such a way would be extremely dangerous, even for a sorcerer of your stature. Why would you be interested in getting us to a place that, correct me if I am wrong, does not exactly welcome you?”

 

Okay, Loki was sure Heimdall knew the reason for this too. The bastard just wanted him to admit it out loud.

 

Loki cleared his throat and sighed. There wasn’t a point in lying to the man if he already knew, and he did actually need Heimdall’s help, as much as he didn’t want it, if he was going to succeed in his plan.

 

“Whether or not the people of Midgard welcome me is the least of my concerns. And, however dangerous committing interdimensional travel would be is definitely nothing in comparison to the thought that Thanos’s ship could turn up at any moment while we travel unguarded,” Loki admitted without shame.

 

It was probably the thing that kept Loki up at night the most. He was terrified of what kind of destruction Thanos could bring. He had debated running away because of it. If not to save himself, then to protect Thor and their people.

 

But even if Thor was different now, with his new appearance and his _slightly_ more matured mind, Loki still knew Thor well enough to know his brother was not doing well, if the small break down Thor had had just the week before was any indication.

 

It was annoying, but Loki couldn’t just leave with that thought on his mind.

 

Not to mention, there was that distinctly annoying voice in Loki’s head now that told him simply handing over the Tesseract to Thanos as a bargaining chip would not do. Something about the greater good, and all that nonsense.

 

So, Loki resigned himself to considering the only way he knew that they could absolutely escape from Thanos, and that required the knowledge and wisdom of a man who could see through all the nine realms.

 

However, Heimdall did not seemed very convinced. The creases on his aged face drew into grim lines. “I don’t think I need to tell you that harnessing such power is dangerous, Loki. Transporting a whole ship is a much harder task than transporting yourself with the device. What could happen is unpredictable. The whole ship could be destroyed in the process.”

 

“I know, Heimdall.” Loki moved his gaze to just behind the man, to see out the window again.

 

“Tell me, Heimdall, did you ever manage to get a glimpse of me after my fall from the Bifrost?” He asked, unable to prevent the slight quiver that erupted in the bottom of his throat. With no expectation of Heimdall to reply, Loki continued in a hushed tone, “Those moments of my life were the longest I'd ever felt…I had no control of my mind, and I felt more terrified than I ever thought I could. I truly did wish for death then…I couldn't subject Thor or our people to such horror.”

 

The past few years had been hard on Loki. Real hard. Still, Loki did not like to think of himself as soft. He was a man of many sharp edges, and he embraced that. There were just some things though that Loki found he could not lie to even himself about.

 

He turned to look at Heimdall, with feigned confidence in his resolve, and a lighter tone in his voice. “I'm sure you've seen my brother. He is not well as of late. Though it might be better for me to leave with the Tesseract in hand, I can't go while he is in that state. Not just for his sake, but for the sake of ensuring Asgard has a sound ruler. Not to mention that Thanos could come for Asgard anyways. You know that something must be done, Heimdall.”

 

After a long moment, Loki watched as the lines on Heimdall’s face softened the minutest amount. He gave Loki a single dutiful nod, before he spoke, “The Tesseract can transport the ship, however not in its current form. The infinity stone, the Space Stone, that lines within it must be freed first. Breaking the Tesseract in order to recover the stone is a dangerous task itself, however, and could cause the destruction of the entire ship. It will take time to break it away.”

 

A small smile of hope crept onto Loki’s lips, and he nodded. “I can do it.”

 

?#@*&%!

 

The largest observation deck, which served as their dining hall usually, had been transformed for the funeral. Loki had made the tables and chairs disappear. Instead, he had conjured great fabrics of silken gold to drape down from the ceilings, and added tall candelabras by every few feet of wall that lit up the room in a golden light. The floors and walls themselves had been transformed into the image of the palace back on Asgard. The makeshift throne Thor hated to sit at had disappeared in place for a large golden coffin that had flowers decorated all around it.

 

Needless to say, Loki was exhausted by the time he had finished with his preparations. Not only were the tasks a lot all by themselves, but he had just spend several hours before exerting his powers towards breaking the Tesseract. He stopped when he’d managed to finally place a small crack on one side of the stupid cube.

 

He watched from his spot just a few feet away from the coffin as the Asgardians and rebels alike entered the hall. One by one, they made their way up to the coffin, and placed what small trinkets they had into it. He comforted those who needed comforting with silent embraces, and solemn looks of understanding.

 

Loki knew exactly what loss felt like.

 

“Brother, you have outdone yourself,” a voice behind him whispered in awe.

 

Loki turned to Thor, who looked on with his own solemn gaze at the mourners. Loki wasn’t sure what his brother had been up to for the hours leading up to right then, but he noticed the bloodshot look of his good eye. Now was not the time to question it though, so Loki chose to remind him of his duty instead.

 

“They will be expecting a speech from you.”

 

Thor’s breath came in a sharp intake and exhale that tickled at Loki’s ear from the distance Thor was standing at. “I know,” he said with no pleasure.  

 

When the last Asgardian had placed an object into the coffin, Loki straightened before making his way to the coffin as well. With a way of his hand, he conjured a small, golden hair pin with intricate carvings to place among the thousand other small memories of loved ones. Among the tiny carvings on the pin was the small words Loki had etched on.

 

_For Frigga, the mother I never deserved._

 

He turned to the crowd after finishing his silent mourn. They peered at him with expectancy, and he glanced at Thor with a raised brow. Thor’s hesitation seemed to have disappeared within the past moments that Loki had left his side as Thor gave him a nod that urged him to continue.

 

“The king will now say a few words,” Loki said before moving towards Thor, who made his way to the coffin.

 

There was a long silence as Thor looked out at the crowd. He could hide it from everyone else with his stoic gaze, but Loki could see the tears that Thor was trying to hold back.

 

“Thank you all for contributing the memories of those we have loved and lossed. There will never be a remedy for the pain of such losses…but we shall continue on. We shall honor those who we have lossed by living up to the sacrifice they have made. Asgard, no matter who or where, will be strong, brave, and persevering.”

 

The crowd was as silent as ever.

 

“Long live Asgard,” came a voice just above normal speaking volume from within the crowd. Loki was surprised to find it come from Valkyrie, who lifted an arm holding an ever present bottle of alcohol in the air.

 

“Long live Asgard,” Korg yelled out.

 

The voices came in an overlapping cacophony as the words came out of every person. Loki turned to Thor, who was watching the spectacle with mix of shock and pride. He was surprised when Thor turned his gaze to him. With a small smile, Loki lifted his fist over his head and said the words with clear conviction, “Long live Asgard.”

 

There was a pride clear in Thor’s eyes, and he raised his fist slowly until it was high in the air.

 

“Long live Asgard!” Came the boom of his voice.

 

?#@*&%!

 

After the funeral, Loki set out to transform the deck back into a dining hall. Though they were still rationed, Loki had picked a meal tonight that was reminiscent of the type Asgard would have during its festivities. Every table was lined with mugs of mead, which Loki had been able to convince Valkyrie to give up for the event.

 

Loki had also managed to conjure adequate instruments for the few musicians that were left to play music as everyone ate.

 

The mood had lightened after the Thor’s speech. Loki didn't blame them for having such a quick change of heart. It had been a long time since the people had found something to celebrate, and perhaps it wasn't such a desperate act to celebrate the preservation of Asgard despite all the hardships.

 

People ate ravenously. Their talks were lively, and the occasional laughter that broke out mixed melodiously with the music.

 

Loki looked on at the scene. There was a sense of pleasure and pride at the success of the funeral he had put together. More importantly, he was relieved to see some of the recent tension in their people's minds disappear.

 

The site of the funeral was soon blocked out when Thor came into his view. He moved with a purpose Loki could not read, but soon signaled for Loki to follow him out the hall. Loki did so without question, and continued to keep his mouth shut as they made their way down the hall.

 

Once Loki had closed the door to their bedroom, he turned to face Thor, who was staring at him with that still unreadable expression.

 

Silence. Stillness. That’s how they stood for about thirty seconds, before Thor attacked Loki with his big arms wrapping around him in a hug.

 

Loki felt Thor begin to vibrate around him, until he was a great shaking mass that Loki had to put his arms around just to keep from falling to the floor. There was a telltale wetness rubbing against Loki’s neck. It seemed like the dam broke all at once as Thor heaved great sobs against him.

 

“Loki, brother, I do not know if I can continue.”

 

For the better part of a thousand years, Loki had been waiting for the moment words along those lines would come out of Thor’s mouth. He had plotted and schemed in the hopes of getting Thor to admit such a defeat. There had been moments when Loki was sure he himself had lost it over the thought that he would never see the day Thor broke.

 

Now, after he had most likely inadvertently caused this, he realised he didn’t want to see Thor break.

 

It was unbecoming, really. Thor was his brother after all, and it was one of those things where it was embarrassing to even just be related. So, despite all the years of frustration and hardship just to see his brother in such a state, Loki realised what he had to do.

 

“Thor, you have to stop this. Right now. You are king now, and there are people who are counting on you, whether or not you like it.”

 

“You can be king, Loki. Have the throne, you’ve done so much during our time on the ship, and you’ve already got two years of experience over me on the job,” Thor said in defiance as he continued to muffle himself against Loki’s shoulder.

 

Loki sighed, because in another life, he’d probably be thrilled about this offer too. But this wasn’t the case.

 

“Thor, listen to me carefully, because I’ll only tell you this once,” Loki said as gripped Thor’s shoulders and pushed him an arm’s length away.

 

Loki hadn’t realised it was possible for a man with an eyepatch to give puppy dog looks, but that’s exactly what Thor was giving to him.  

 

“Thor,” he began slowly, “I have never wanted the throne.”

 

That stopped the tears real quick. Thor looked at him in confusion and disbelief, and anger when those finally began to go away.   


“Brother, that is the worst lie I have ever heard you give me.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. Thor never did understand. “No, brother, I have never wanted the throne. I have, perhaps, schemed to gain the throne at times, but only to serve the greater purpose of the thing I desired.”

 

“And what is it that you desired?” Thor said. He placed his hands over Loki’s, as if ready to either push them away, or pull him closer.

 

Loki did not move his gaze away from Thor’s eyes, but he silently battled with himself about the consequence of what he was going to say next. He could never go back from it, and Thor would never let him live it down.

 

“Nevermind. Point is I’m not king, you are,” Loki said as he pulled his hands away from Thor’s shoulder, and tried to step past Thor to get to the bathroom.

 

“No, wait, Loki!”

 

“No! Nothing! Forget I said anything.”

 

“Just tell me what you were about to say!” Thor stopped Loki with a hand on his shoulder just as he had almost made it to the bathroom.

 

Loki shook hard to get the hand off of him, but Thor would not budge. “Just go back to crying, Thor,” Loki told him as he pushed him off with his own hand.

 

Thor did not go back to crying. Instead, Loki felt something tug at his waist, and the sudden sensation of being hoisted in the air. He kicked and pounded as Thor swung him over his shoulder. He could tell he’d managed to make a dent when Thor rather ungracefully dropped him to make impact with the floor.

 

Loki realised how stupid he’d been for trying to comfort his big, idiot of the brother. He’d landed on his elbow in a way that would require a few moments to heal, and he was overcome with the sudden sensation of anger and annoyment.

 

He grabbed at Thor’s ankle, and pulled it until Thor was tumbling to the floor right next to him. It was a bad, impulsive choice on his part, and it only brought him temporary pleasure to see his brother curse as he hit the floor. Then Thor was straddling him, and trying to capture his hands.

 

“Just—tell me—what you—desired!” Thor said in between Loki’s attempts at punching him.

 

“No! I said to forget it!”

 

“Just tell me!” Thor screamed in his face, because he’d managed to capture Loki’s hands by then.

 

Loki sighed as Thor sat up, hands still containing Loki’s. His expression was of patience, and Loki decided to just tell the bastard what he wanted to hear to get rid of his stupid smug smile.

 

“I never wanted to be king, but I always sought the throne, because I just wanted for us to finally be equals.”

 

Silence. Loki closed his eyes as the silence continued, because he didn’t want to see the stupid smirk and laugh that Thor was going to give him. He would cover his ears too, if they weren’t so indisposed at the moment.

 

“Loki, we have always been equals. You are my brother, a prince of Asgard, even if it is not your birthplace. You have always been rightfully my equal,” came Thor’s soft answer.

 

When Loki opened his eyes, he saw nothing but Thor staring down at him with conviction in his eye.

 

It never felt like they were equals growing up. What with Odin always praising Thor. His friends always cheering for him. Even with the way Frigga seemed to dote on him more. Then there was the constant disappointment he glimpsed in Odin’s gaze upon himself. The jeers from his classmates at his inclination towards magic. The guarantee that Thor would be king looming in the back of his head constantly, and how he’d be nothing but a speck in his brother’s mind.

 

“The point is, Thor, that I have no desire to be king. Now, let me up.”

 

His hands were freed immediately, and Thor soon shifted himself off as well. He could feel his brother’s eyes on him as he made his way to the bathroom, and shut the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the ship nears an upcoming planet, Thor stresses about what to do. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Loki is a good drinking partner. 
> 
> And Brunnhilde is just having a hoot. 
> 
> Warning: this is where the warning that the rating indicates comes in. Like I said in my chapter's notes for the last one, it gets kinkier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm baaaack!
> 
> So, this one is shorter than the first, which I was kind of bummed about. I absolutely love fics with long chapters, but it just felt wrong to keep going. I think I stopped at a good point.

Thor’s outburst was not mentioned again. Though Thor would have liked to continue their conversation, and possibly mend some of their past wrongs, he knew he was not gonna get that from Loki anytime soon. 

 

There was always something else he could argue about with Loki, though. Three weeks had gone by, and he was still no closer to finding a solution to how they were going to get supplies from the planet they were reaching.

 

“You’re being ridiculous!” Loki hissed. 

 

“I’m trying not to cause more devastation than we’ve already experienced!” Thor said as he banged his fist on the table. It was their last steering committee meeting five hours before they were to arrive on the planet, and Thor could not believe that they were still arguing over course of action. 

 

Then yet again, he could, because his brother was a Little Shit - when he was not being helpful and supportive with all the duties Thor had as king now. 

 

“It’s a primitive society. It’s not as if they would have a lot to rebuild! Hulk will even get a chance to alleviate some of his boredom. Besides, Brunnhilde agrees with me!” Loki said. He motioned towards the woman as she chugged away half of her bottle. 

 

Thor turned to her in disbelief. “Brunnhilde!” Despite his insistence on knowing her name, Thor found it still odd to refer to her by anything else than Valkyrie. “You agree with such savagery?” 

She made a noise of interjection, and removed her mouth from the bottle with a pop. “Your majesty—” she burped before continuing, “with all due respect, I simply do not see a better course of action. We can’t barter our weapons, and we have nothing else to offer them. No matter what civilization it is, equivalent exchange is still the most likely expectation we should hold of them. I’m not suggesting we pillage and plunder, but it would seem that peacefully stealing what we need would not be difficult.”

 

The table was silent for a moment before the Valkyrie added, “Don’t take my word for it though, I told Loki this in confidence, while I was drunk.” 

 

“You’re always drunk,” Loki said with an eye roll. 

 

“You two drink together?” Thor cut in. He was given only shrugs in return, but did not get the chance to comment further once Korg started speaking. 

 

“I still think, we could just ask them nicely. I mean, we might discover there might be something of value to them that we can exchange once we talk with them. You know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

 

“They have that saying on your home planet?” Loki asked.

 

“Heimdall, it appears we are at an impasse,” Thor said with a tired sigh. He hardly got any sleep these days with all the work needed to run the ship, and with Loki always annoying him during their slumber with his tossing and turning, or blanket hogging. “I think perhaps we should try Korg’s plan, but Loki and Brunnhilde seem to think that their chicanery will solve our problems. What do you think?”

 

“We have done enough harm as it is, and I do not think it would help morale if the people knew our salvation came through more lies and violence.”

 

Thor nodded his head. “Then it is settled,” he said as he got up. “We shall attempt a peaceful approach.”

 

“And what if that doesn’t work?” Loki asked. His glare shot daggers at Thor that were not as sharp to Thor as Loki probably thought they were. 

 

“Then we’ll figure it out!” Thor grunted at him before he exited. 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

“You know, I told you my opinion of our upcoming trip in confidence, and while I was drunk,” Brunnhilde said as she punched hard at Loki’s arm.

 

Despite the pain that bloomed in his arm, Loki did not stop counting the floating packets of powdered soup before him. “You’re always drunk though, and I needed a second opinion.”

 

“Yeah, well, a load of good that did in the end,” Brunnhilde said as she opened another crate of powdered cheese and began counting. “We still ended up with going with a boring diplomatic trip.”

 

Loki really hadn’t expected to come in contact with the Valkyrie so often, but with his job in storage and rationing and her propensity for visiting the storage area often to syphon alcohol, they ended up in conversation quite often. They had even found it bearable to have a drink together some days, after they had finished with their duties, and exchange stories. 

 

Unlike a certain big, blonde idiot, Brunnhilde was far more impressed with the tales of his mischievous escapades. She was far less adverse to the idea of trickery and wit being an asset in battle, and held an appreciation for Loki’s stories that was rare. Loki appreciated her stories as well, and the way she could grouse about anything left him chuckling in a way he had not in a long time. 

 

“Well, that’s not my fault. Thor is as stubborn as ever,” Loki answered. 

 

“Speaking of Thor, is he doing alright?”

 

Loki paused his ministrations, and turned to look at her in scrutiny. “Why do you ask?”

 

“For one, I'm pretty sure those  _ therapy _ sessions with Hulk are not going well. Sometimes I wait outside for the big guy, and I've seen Thor storm out of the room more than once, leaving even  _ Hulk _ confused. Second, it's almost as if he's  _ avoiding _ everyone. On more than one occasion, I've seen him walk down a hall, then run back the direction he came from, as if he's running from the incoming crowd of people he spots.”

 

Loki sighed. Of course he had noticed Thor's odd behavior as well. It was hard to miss. Norns, he couldn't even imagine how much worse his brother would be if he had told him about the whole business with the Tesseract and Thanos. 

 

“He seems tense.”

 

“Yes, I've noticed. Thor was never good at organization and diplomacy. All we can hope for now is that a successful retrieval of supplies will alleviate some of the melodramatic burdens he's managed to place on himself.”

 

Brunnhilde raised her brows, and snorted in that universal way that said,  _ Sure, whatever you say _ .

 

?#@*&%!

 

Thor left engineering and made his way to the loading dock. He tried to wipe off the sweat that had accumulated on his brow from the physical labor it took to mend one of the engines, which had been bent out of shape by a small meteor they had passed. 

 

He proceeded to spend the remaining five minutes alone pacing the whole of the loading area. 

 

What was he going to do if the civilization decided they had nothing worth bartering for? 

 

They just couldn't leave empty-handed. Then Thor would be forced to think of another way to get the supplies they needed, and he was not looking forward to that. 

 

Norns, the  _ smirk _ Loki would give him. The lauding that would ensure his sleep deprivation continued. 

 

“Having doubts about your plan, brother?” Came Loki’s voice from the entrance. 

 

Thor turned to face his brother with a glare, but that dropped the moment he set eyes upon him.  

 

The leather garb Loki had worn on Sakaar was no longer there. In its place was the old green and gold armor Loki used to wear as a youth. Adorning his head was his horned helmet, which shone a reflection of the room. His hair, which usually hung as waves, was now a flow of softly defined curls. 

 

Thor probably could have continued to stare for another ten minutes if not for Loki’s shriek. 

 

“Thor, could you not have at least put a little effort into your appearance? The natives might mistake us for savages.” 

 

Thor closed his mouth, and narrowed his eyes. “I apologize, brother, but I did not have the time. In case you forgot, I have a ship to run.”

 

“You are not the only one who has a job, but in any case, I shall help you this one time. If only to save face,” Loki said before he snapped his fingers. 

 

Thor felt the shift in fabric on his skin. He looked down to see how the armor he wore before arriving on Sakaar had been restored. The weight of his cape and helmet were an odd comfort. They brought nostalgia for a period of his life that he had forgotten as of late. 

 

Loki was still smiling, with what seemed like some sense of pride at his handiwork, when he looked back up at him. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

The moment dissipated a second later as the rest of their party entered. Brunnhilde and Korg carried backpacks with them filled with provisions, while Hulk held a large sack that contained some of the possible things they could barter with. Really, it was more of a garbage bag that Thor was hoping would somehow transform into a bag of precious gems at some point. 

 

Soon, the a voice over the intercom signaled that they were landing. 

 

“They have noticed our presence, and approach rapidly,” Heimdall said with his eyes aglow.

 

Thor nodded. “Heimdall, you have control of the ship while we are gone. I will contact you soon.”

 

“Be safe,” Heimdall heeded before stepping back to allow the party access to the exit. 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

Their trek on the planet did not take even ten minutes before they saw humanoid beings come into view along the horizon.

 

“Ooh, they’re purple. That’s a good sign,” Korg said from behind Thor. 

 

“How so?” Thor asked. Norns, he could not believe the amount of hope he had for Korg to tell him something good. 

 

“Purple’s a good color. A calm color.”

 

“Oh.” 

 

The field they were in was not green, but a bright red grass that stopped just below Thor’s knees. The sky above was not exactly a proper blue either, but more of an aquamarine. There were about five stars that lit the sky, and Thor basked in the heat of day as they waited for the beings to come closer. 

 

The humanoid figures soon became more defined as they approached. Their features were dual sided, with pairs of blackened eyes and arms on each side of their bodies. They were almost naked, with only loincloths covering their groins. There was no indication that they were of more than one sex. However, some of them had long, navy-colored hair, while others had bald scalps. They all carried spears made of a shiny, metal substance, but seemed to be in more of a shocked state than aggression. 

 

The two parties stopped once they were ten feet away from each other. Thor counted about fifteen of them in total. 

 

After a moment of silence, Thor moved forward and began to speak, “Hello, I am Thor Odinson, King of Asgard. My people and I have traveled a long way, and are in need of supplies. We hoped you could offer us some assistance.”

 

There was an eruption of unintelligible murmuring among the beings, before one of them lifted its fist in the air. They stopped speaking at once, and the being stepped forward. Thor noticed the blue markings that littered the being’s skin, and assumed it was a symbol of its dominance in the civilization. 

 

The being begun to speak; its voice was a collective of harsh and soft tones all at once that Thor took a moment to acclimate to. Relief hit him, however, as it seemed like AllSpeak worked on the planet.

 

“Jibara,” it said as it pointed to itself. 

 

“You are Jibara?” Thor clarified. 

 

It nodded, before motioning at Thor again. 

 

“Follow,” Jibara said as he made a sweeping motion towards where the tribe had come from. 

 

Thor nodded. “We follow.”

 

The beings soon began walking in the direction they came from, with the ship party trailing behind. 

 

“They seem friendly,” Korg commented once again. 

 

“Purple good color,” Hulk growled. 

 

Loki scoffed from beside Thor. “All they did was tell us to follow, it does not mean they are friendly. They could be leading us anywhere.”

 

“But you have to admit, if they thought we were a threat, would they not have attacked us on the spot?” Thor added. 

 

“Or they could just be leading us into a trap. The best way to gauge the abilities of an unfamiliar opponent would be to trap them in a controlled environment, and see how they react. Then attack accordingly,” Brunnhilde suggested. 

 

“Well, then you may keep guard, but I do not believe they wish to harm us,” Thor said as he studied how they began to murmur amongst themselves again. “They move with purpose, and seem eager.”

 

The rest of the trek was silent. The beings eventually led them into a bustling village. Their huts appeared to be made of the same material as their weapons, but had been painted with a rainbow of vibrant colors. As they continued walking through the village, the beings around stopped their tasks, and came out of their huts to watch them pass. 

 

However, soon they had completely left the village behind for a nearby hill. A structure jutted out of the top of the hill as they approached, and Thor soon made out that it was a short stone wall with something intricately carved into it. 

 

The beings soon dissipated to each end of the wall, except for Jibara who stood in front of the ship party. He smiled at them, and flung his hands towards the wall, as if presenting it as some wonderful surprise. 

 

Before Thor could stop him, Loki walked towards the wall to study the engravings. The beings did not seemed to be bothered by Loki’s approach, and had, in fact, began to murmur excitedly amongst themselves again. 

 

Jibara fell to his knees before Thor, and bent himself into a deep bow. “You may have as much grain and water as you need, as long as you bless our crops to be fertile for another millenia.”

 

“Um, alright. Sure, I can bless your crops…How do you want me to do that though?” Thor asked, scratching at his beard. 

 

Thor was pretty sure he had never seen Loki move so fast in his life, and one of Loki’s greatest skills was his speed. Thor felt the grip of Loki’s hand on his arm as Loki began to tug him in the direction they had come from. 

 

There was a sharp outcry from the beings, and Thor grounded himself. He felt Loki almost trip at the sudden resistance. However, Loki recovered fast, and leaned his mouth right beside Thor’s ear. 

 

“I don’t think you want to know how they expect you to bless their crops, brother,” Loki hissed in a hushed toned.    
  


Thor’s gaze shifted from Loki’s glare to Jibara, who was staring at him in anticipation. Thor did not miss the subtle change in hand motion, and the way the other beings had lifted their spears in a battle-ready stance.

 

“Take a look yourself,” Loki said as he shoved Thor’s arm away from his grip. 

 

Thor held his hands up in a placating manner towards the beings as he neared the wall. He kneeled before it, and realised the engravings were crude drawings. 

 

The wall showed the five stars that shined over them. Understandable, primitive cultures often worshipped the heavens above them. There was also the depiction of their crops, which would be an integral part of such a society. Then…

 

There was a picture of two glowing beings having sex. 

 

There were feathers adorning the head of one of the beings…and horns adorning the other.  

 

Similar to Thor and Loki’s helmets. 

 

Oh. 

 

So, that's how Thor was expected to bless them with fertile crops. 

 

“May I, um, ask about the origins of this stone wall?”

 

“The wall has been here for over a millennia, longer than any in the tribe has been alive. We believe it was carved when our ancestors first came in contact with the gods.”

 

A cackling laughter came just behind Thor's shoulder, and he turned to find Brunnhilde holding her gut in the fits of laughter that racked her whole body. 

 

It wasn't exactly a big surprise to Thor. Asgard was often depicted incorrectly on less developed planets, although Thor wondered how Odin had let such an erroneous depiction come to be. It was an entire planet that thought he fucked his brother for crying out loud. 

 

Brunnhilde became a spectacle to the beings as she continued to laugh in a heap on the ground. 

 

Thor got up, and turned to look at his brother, who was doing his damndest best to look like a petulant child. Loki’s arms were crossed, and he tapped his foot impatiently, as if waiting for Thor to tell them they could leave. 

 

Thor felt the pressure of someone grabbing his hand. He looked away from Loki to find Jibara kneeling on the ground before him in a grand bow. 

 

“Please, we beg you, stay the night. Grace us with your blessing tomorrow, and we shall provide you with all that we have,” Jibara said. 

 

Thor did not look at Loki again. He stood still for what felt like forever, before feeling the word slip out of his mouth. 

 

“Alright.”

 

?#@*&%! 

 

“Have you absolutely lost your mind?!” Loki screamed at him as Thor felt more punches bombard his sides. 

Jibara had left them to some rooms in the village’s temple, and Loki began his attack the moment the door to their room was closed. 

 

“Brother, stop this! Allow me to explain!” Thor said as he dodged Loki’s next punches. 

 

“Exactly! Brother! I'm your brother! No matter the riff between us, Thor, I know that word still means something to you.”

 

“And does it mean anything to you?”

 

Loki ceased his motions, and sat up, still straddling Thor. The look he held was poisonous. 

 

“That is not the point. I accept that, while we are not related by blood, you have always held me as your brother. Therefore, what you have just agreed us to is absolutely insane.”

 

Thor sighed. He moved to grab Loki’s hands, and was surprised when he did not immediately move away. 

 

“Loki, this is not about us. It's about the ship, and the people who are expecting us to return with success in hand.” He held Loki’s gaze as he spoke, and watched as it softened from its initial fury. “We cannot go back empty-handed, Loki, and I refuse to do bad by these people, who have showed us nothing but kindness,” Thor finished. 

 

There was a long bout of silence before Loki spoke.

 

“Thor, you know me. I have never been adverse to the lascivious, but this…” Loki trailed off as he got up.

 

He moved towards to the door, but paused before his exit.

 

“This, I can't do,” he said before he exited. 

 

Thor could do nothing but watch. 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

Loki wondered when he had become the reasonable one as it took him all of five minutes to find Brunnhilde and alcohol.

 

“Pass me a jug,” he said. He sat himself next to her. They were in what looked to be the dining hall of the building. 

 

“You know, there's a beauty to how universal alcohol is,” Brunnhilde mused. She handed him a small jug similar to the one she held. “No matter where I seem to end up, the idea of fermented liquids is constant.”

 

Loki did not reply. Normally, he held himself in a much higher esteem, but he ignored his inner chidings this time to chug half of the jug in one breath. 

 

“I take it you talked to Thor then?” 

 

“Yes, I did. The bastard looked like a kicked puppy when I told him I couldn't do it.”

 

“You know, it's not actually that much of a shock. Incest isn't exactly the worst thing I've seen royalty commit throughout my time alive,” Brunnhilde commented with a shrug. 

 

Loki did not doubt that. Brunnhilde was possibly older than Heimdall was, and

Asgard’s history was a long and dramatic one if recent events were anything to go by. 

 

“I'm honestly kind of shocked you're being such a prude about it. You were in and out of the Grandmaster’s room every night back on Sakaar.”

 

“I'm not a prude,” Loki snapped at her. “This is just different.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Loki could tell Brunnhilde was studying him with narrowed eyes. 

 

“Well, whatever it is,” she said slowly, “Either way, we're still gonna have to figure out something for the ship. The passengers will be if we go back empty-handed.”

 

Loki remained silent as he looked down at the jug in his hand. He watched his knuckles turn white, and brought the bottle to his lips to chug down the rest of the beverage. Once finished, he set it aside, and stood up. There was a heat coursing through his blood now, and he felt bold enough to begin walking. 

 

“Keep anyone from knocking on my door tonight. In fact, try to get the others to leave with you if you can. Take them out on a night out, or just something to distract them.”

 

He heard the cry of Brunnhilde's first cackle as she called out after him, “At least try to enjoy yourself!” 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

For over thirty minutes, Thor had been sitting with his elbow on his knees, and back hunched over the edge of the bed. In all his thousand years alive, Thor could honestly say he had never had so many thoughts in his mind as he did in his current predicament. 

 

There were the people for whom he was responsible. Who expected him to deliver them something. Who needed hope that things were going to improve. 

 

There was the Hulk, who still had heard nothing from Banner. Thor could not help but be racked with guilt for possibly causing his death. He felt a personal responsibility to find the man if there was any bit of him left. 

 

There were the people who had passed. The ones he could not save. He wondered how he could be king with the common knowledge that he had already failed his people. 

 

Then there was Loki. It seemed like he had finally come to understand at least a small part of his brother’s inner workings. It had been over a month, and despite not showing it, he was grateful to wake up from what little sleep he got to find Loki beside him.

 

But now, he had made the wrong choice again. He had lost what little amity Loki and he shared, but he had just been trying to do what was best for Asgard. 

 

Was it worth sacrificing Loki, though? 

 

What if Loki did decide to leave for his mistake? 

 

What if he never saw him again? 

 

Thor had been so busy wallowing that he did not notice Loki entering the room till the door clicked shut behind him. Thor stilled. He watched as Loki moved with caution towards him.

 

“So, here's the thing, if you are absolutely sure this is the course of action you want to go with…then I'll do it.”

 

Thor was not sure what to say. Loki actually looked…uncomfortable. Did Thor really want to subject him to this? 

 

No matter how important salvaging his relationship with Loki was, it wasn't just about him anymore. 

 

“Brother, I know how much I ask of you, but this is the only option I am willing to go with,” Thor told him in earnest. 

 

Loki, who stood over him, sighed as if in resignation. “Alright, fine.”

 

“Thank you, brother. Thank you so much,” Thor said as he stood up, and enveloped Loki in a hug. 

 

“Get off me you, oaf! There is still something we must address,” Loki said. He pushed Thor an arm’s distance away, and Thor noticed how the look of pain had not left Loki’s face. 

 

“Whatever it is, brother, it cannot be so bad,” Thor tried to comfort. 

 

Loki's smile appeared. It was the kind he wore when he had the upper hand. Except it wasn't mischievous in any sense. In fact, Loki even turned away from him, and began to pace. 

 

Minutes passed with nothing but the loud sound of Loki pacing. 

 

“Loki, please, just out with it.”

 

Loki halted with his back turned to Thor. 

 

“You and I are not of the same species.”

 

“Yes, I know.” Thor raised a brow. “I will…keep it in mind.” 

 

He watched Loki shake his head, and turn towards him in a frantic whirl. Loki’s words came out in the same snarky tone Thor recognised as Loki being defensive, “Although I have taken care to keep my appearance Asgardian, I am of Jotun blood…Now, I know you’ve never been the most academically-inclined of persons, but please try and recall what you have learned about the Jotuns, Thor.”

 

Thor’s face screwed up in further confusion as he did what his brother instructed, and went through his knowledge of the Frost Giants. 

 

It hit him a second later. There was only one thing Loki could be so worked up about. 

 

“But father,” Thor began, dumbstruck, “I thought he cast a spell on you.”

 

Loki placed his arms akimbo, and nodded his head. “Yes, and how do you expect father’s spell to continue with him being dead? The only reason my appearance remains this way is because I keep it this way. However, there are some things I am unable to change, and trust me, it is still a new development for me as well.”

 

Thor was not sure what to say, and his next words probably tumbled out of him for that very reason. 

 

“Show me.”

 

Loki almost looked like he’d just been slapped. He took a step back. 

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

“Loki,” Thor said as he approached him with slow steps forward. Loki matched every step with his own movement backwards. “Let us not skirt around the subject. If we really are going to do what we’re going to do tomorrow, then perhaps it is best that we make sure we are not surprised by anything.”

 

“We won’t, because I just told you all the surprises you need to know, Thor,” Loki said with poison laced in every word. 

 

“I think this kind of news warrants some type of preparation, brother. Besides, now that I think about it, we should just go through with the entire act right now.”

 

Loki began moving with increased speed, and a chase through the small room broke out. 

 

“Thor, I swear, if you show me your  _ cock _ , I will not hesitate to stab you as I have many times before,” Loki said as he halted. A dagger had appeared in his hand, and raised up to Thor’s neck before Thor had even come to a full halt. 

 

Thor held up his hands as a gesture of peace. “Now, brother, let’s not do anything rash.”

 

“Says the man who wants to fuck me!”

 

“Do you really want the first time we commit such an act to be in front of an audience? Bumbling around like nervous idiots? As if we don’t know what we’re doing?” 

 

Thor made an internal sigh of relief as he watched recognition flash across Loki’s face. Loki was nothing if not vain, and looking foolish in front of a civilization he considered below him was something he just could not have on his record. 

 

The blade disappeared, and Loki straightened from his fighting stance. 

 

“How do you want to do this then?” Loki said as he crossed his arms in begrudging compliance. 

 

Thor gave him a placating smile, and motioned between them. “How about we both strip first.”

 

Loki sighed as he turned around, and began removing his garments. Thor turned around, and did the same. 

 

“You know, it is not as though we have never seen each other naked, brother,” Thor said in a conversational tone. “Remember how we used to run around together in the outdoor bathing pools of the palace?”

 

“We were children then, Thor. And in case you already forgot, my anatomy has changed in a rather significant manner since that time,” Loki said as they both turned around to face each other.

 

Thor had not been sure what to expect, but he frowned in confusion when he looked at Loki. His eyes could not help but be drawn towards Loki’s groin. 

 

“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” he said as he looked back up to Loki’s face. 

 

Loki puckered his lips, and shot daggers with his eyes. “It’s…below.”

 

“Well, then…lay on the bed, and let me see.”

 

To Thor’s surprise, Loki sighed in exasperation once more before complying with his instructions. Thor moved to kneel at the edge of the low bed, and watched Loki bend his knees and spread his legs. 

 

Thor wasn’t sure his breath had ever caught in such an embarrassing way. 

 

Of course, he knew his brother was attractive. Loki had never had a shortage of women and men alike follow him into his bedroom, but this was different. 

 

Thor was pretty sure he had never seen a more beautiful and lewd sight than his brother spread wide open for him. His opening nestled right below his cock and balls. 

 

“Brother, you're so pink!” He couldn't help but say. 

 

Thor realised his mistake in words when he felt Loki’s ankles wrap around his head. Before he could blink, he felt his face slam into the mattress of the bed. 

 

“You oaf, don't say something like that!” Loki seethed as he sat up. 

 

Thor looked up in time to see Loki grab the pillow beside him, but did not react fast enough to avoid the force of the pillow smacking the side of his head. 

 

He grunted, and turned to find Loki rearing into position for another swing. Thor moved faster this time. He grabbed for Loki's wrists before he could be hit again. They twisted against each other until the pillow flew out of Loki’s hand, but Thor felt a sharp pain bloom in his leg as Loki kicked it. 

 

“Loki! Stop! It was a compliment!” Thor said his hands up in defense. 

 

Loki paused. “I'm not some whore, you pig! I'm your brother!” 

 

“Well not physically!” 

 

The mistake could not be taken back. Loki’s eyes were pits of fire, but Thor only saw a glance of them as he was tackled backwards. Loki’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once. He felt the claw of his fingers upon his beard, and the burn of a slap across his cheeks and arms. 

 

“Alright, brother, stop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please, it was not my intention to anger you so,” Thor pleaded. He finally caught one of Loki's hands while Loki was distracted by his words, and he held it to his chest. 

 

“I was just simply surprised by the fact that I never noticed how beautiful your body was, and that you possessed such wonders,” Thor said as he brought Loki’s hand up to his lips. 

 

He gave his hand small kisses until he felt Loki calm above him. Thor took the chance to sit up, and toss Loki back into a lying position. 

 

Kneeling before Loki again, Thor smiled at his brother. Loki’s expression was still cautious, but far more accepting than a moment ago. From his overview, Thor began to roam over Loki with his eye. 

 

There really was nothing ugly about Loki. His skin was pale and taut against sinewy muscle. His body was masculine, but with a graceful femininity to every line. 

 

Thor laid a gentle palm on Loki’s ankle, and looked to his brother’s tentative stare. 

 

“May I?”

 

Loki responded with nothing but a nod before looking back up at the ceiling. 

 

Thor’s hand moved slow up Loki’s calf. His thumb traced circles he hoped would sooth Loki’s tension as he reached the end of his thigh. The same hand soon found its way to tracing the line of his cock, and Thor watched as Loki jerked up in reaction to his touch. 

 

“Sorry,” he whispered in a breathless voice. 

 

“Just get on with it, Thor,” Loki said in a shaky voice. 

 

Thor moved his hand further below, and traced the line of Loki’s slit with his thumb. He rested on his elbows, so he could bring his other hand up to spread apart Loki’s lips. 

 

Loki gave out what sounded like a whimper as Thor pushed a digit into the pink, already wet hole. He added another one as he watched the first disappear. He began to pull them out, but stopped of just completely doing so, and pushed them back in. 

 

Thor fell into a rhythm with his strokes as Loki continued to unravel beneath his hands. 

 

He moved himself up until he was at level with Loki’s cock, which he took in one hand and began to stroke as well. Without further notice, he brought the tip to his lips. There was already precum leaking out, and Thor made sure to lick it all up as he brought the entire length into his mouth. His head began to bob, while his fingers continued their ministrations. 

 

Thor kept going until he felt Loki begin to tense under him. Then he was trying to lick and swallow every last drop that spilled on his tongue. 

 

Above him, Loki was panting hard. He sat up as Loki pushed him away. 

 

“Had enough?” Loki asked, the sass not coming through quite as much with the tremor still present in his voice. 

 

“Hardly, brother,” Thor said before moving up to Loki, and pressing his still wet lips on Loki’s.

 

Kissing Loki was just as good as making a mess of him below, and Thor pulled away in shock at the realisation. 

 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Loki stated, not really in mock, but more in apprehension. 

 

Thor gave him a slow nod, before returning to kissing him. He felt Loki’s hands wrap around the back of his neck this time. They did not stay there for long though as they roamed down towards his chest. Thor smiled as Loki traced each of his abs till he could grab his cock.  

 

Thor groaned into their kiss as Loki stroked him. They went on like that for some time, exploring each other's mouths, and Loki bringing him towards the edge. 

 

Loki stopped. He pulled his lips away from Thors before saying, “Fuck me right now.”

 

Thor didn't say anymore as they shifted positions till he was aligned with Loki’s wet, and waiting entrance. 

 

There was no comparing the feeling of slipping into Loki to anything else. His grip on Loki’s hips tightened, and he felt Loki's arms pull him down till they were flush against each other. Their movements were a frantic rhythm that began as soon as he was buried all the way in. 

 

Thoughts of Asgard, of Hulk, of the people, and all the worries that had kept him up at night slipped from his mind. He could only focus on the way his moans and Loki’s mixed together as one never-ending echo of pleasure. 

 

“Thor,” Loki repeated with increasing volume. 

 

There was something tight building in Thor’s core, and he picked up his pace, losing the rhythm completely to reach the end instead. 

 

“Loki, aagh, Loki,” Thor found himself repeating as walls clenched around him, and he felt a wave of ecstasy come over himself. 

 

They continued rutting against each other until their moans died into heavy pants. Thor pulled out with care, and collapsed beside Loki in a heap of tired muscle and lack of energy. He found his way to nuzzling Loki's neck, where he peppered Loki with kisses. 

 

“Perhaps you should let me try a different point of entry next time, just in case the beings want to see us in a different position,” Thor said as he reached down to wrap his hands around Loki's pert ass. He squeezed hard, and felt Loki moan against his lips. 

 

“Perhaps I should,” Loki panted.

 

?#@*&%!

 

The ritual the next day went off without a hitch.

 

Thor and Loki made their way onto the bed in the center of the village without any hesitation. 

 

They groped and groaned into each other without any words. 

 

They had taken the resources promised without any struggle. 

 

Brunnhilde watched the two blushing idiots, and laughed without break. 

 

Korg and Hulk did not understand what was happening, but followed without question. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Catch Twenty-Loki: The gang is back on the ship! Thor is still stressed. Will he find some solace in his therapy sessions with Hulk? Who is the therapist and the therapee? (I don't think therapee is a word, but you know what I mean.) Also, Loki is in a Mood, Brunnhilde is cackling, and the Tesseract still needs breaking. There's probably an awkward conversation between Heimdall and Loki or Thor about what they definitely know he knows, even if he wasn't on the alien planet with them. 
> 
> Wow, I really don't know how I did on this chapter. Haha please tell me what you think, because I don't write much smut. I love reading the stuff, but it honestly feels tedious whenever I try to write it. That's kind of why I skipped out on the whole public fucking scene. Sorry guys, but it's not like I said there would for sure be a scene like that in my tags or anything, so I hope this was okay haha. 
> 
> Anyways...my outline for this chapter was so graphic. Haha it just SOUNDS harsh as I read it to myself, but here it is anyways:
> 
> Chapter 3:  
> -They finally arrive at a planet. It turns out that the race there is more than happy to offer their supplies to the two Space Viking Gods, but only if they’ll bless their harvest by publicly fucking. The two are dumbstruck by this news, meanwhile Brunnhilde is in the background cackling, because of fucking course that would be the price.   
> -Thor, Loki and the gang stay for the night. After a small fight, Loki runs away, only to be convinced to this for the greater good by Brunnhilde. Once he returns, Thor and him seriously talk about WHAT’S COMING. For the good of their people, and because Thor insists on being an honest king, they both agree to do it. Loki is now forced to tell him about a particular fact regarding his anatomy.   
> -Thor suggests they have sex first then, so he’s not surprised by anything the next day.   
> -They have some weird sex with lots of jokes and a slight fistfight halfway through, but all in all wow 10/10.  
> -The next day, they have sex in front of the entire race with zero problems, bc they’ve been fucking the entire night obvi, and then they quickly get the hell out of there. 
> 
> P.S. Sorry I think I said in the last chapter there would be more Hulk therapy in this chapter, but there isn't really. It just didn't fit in, and it felt right to write about Loki and Brunnhilde instead just being snarky pals together haha. 
> 
> Oh right, also, if I haven't mentioned it before, I don't plan for this to be a long story. I mean, the chapters are long, but there is probably only 2 to 3 more chapters for this part. Then it's onto the next ship in this multiship series! Aaaah, I'm so happy I'm finally doing this project, and I can honestly thank going to see Infinity War for inspiring me. Although there are no Infinity War spoilers here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are awkwaaaaard. 
> 
> Thor might actaully be a good therapist. JK.
> 
> Brunnhilde is a legit matchmaker. 
> 
> Loki gets blackout drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Awwwww, I can't believe I haven't posted in so long! I'm so sorry about that. I always said I wouldn't be the type of writer who would leave people hanging for to long, but I did. I just started college all the way across the country, and this is the first real break I've gotten from everything. Something about being back home makes me want to read and write fanfiction again haha. 
> 
> I just want to say thank you to everyone who left a comment! I really appreciate hearing your guys' thoughts, and they really are what motivated me to continue writing this!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! There is about 2-3 more chapters that I have planned out, so expect those to come sometime in the indefinite future. Haha sorry I just don't want to make anymore promises that I can't keep about when these chapters are coming out!

“Loki, you've cleaved off a whole side already. That's enough for today. You must be exhausted,” Heimdall said. 

 

Loki lowered his hands and panted hard. Today, he had managed to hold on thirty minutes longer than usual.

 

“You grow impatient,” Heimdall commented. 

 

“Of course I do. Every day that we continue on this trek is another day that Thanos could attack our ship, and we will not be ready for it!” Loki said as he threw his hands in the air for emphasis. 

 

When he finally finished his huffing, Loki moved his gaze to the floor. Heimdall did not react to his outburst except to continue staring at him with his all-knowing eyes until he was done. 

 

Loki squirmed at the involuntary thought of just how  _ all-knowing  _ Heimdall really was. That thought then brought on other unwanted thoughts that Loki could not pull himself out of until Heimdall spoke again. 

 

“Though you have made many mistakes in the past, I have never doubted your capability, Loki,” Heimdall said. He moved closer and placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “Despite our many conflicts in the past, I still admire your determination. You will succeed at this task eventually, and if not, I also have faith that you will fight just as hard as the rest of us to protect the ship.”

 

Loki was not a man known to buckle at simple niceties and such open displays of emotions. Then yet again, he wasn't sure he was really the man he had been known as anymore. Not if recent events proved anything. 

 

“Thank you, Heimdall,” was Loki’s final response. It had come out sounding unnaturally soft and stunted, but Heimdall smiled at him anyways. 

 

Loki groaned as his mind returned to the question of just how much Heimdall knew about _recent_ _events_ after the man in question exited the room. 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

Thor was finally striking a chord. He had been easing into the deeper stuff slowly over the course of the last few weeks, and he just needed to push a little more. 

 

“Hulk, what is your earliest memory?” Thor asked. 

 

One day, Thor and Hulk had entered to find a couch suitable in size for Hulk to actually lay across, and Hulk began to lay on it every session after that. Thor suspected it had to do with a certain sorcerer who was  _ definitely _ avoiding him, but he was still pleased that Hulk finally started resembling the kind of therapy patient Thor had seen on Migardian television. 

 

“Hmmm, a house,” Hulk said after some thought.

 

Thor made a note of it. He had made a lot of notes in his sessions with Hulk the past few weeks, and he found himself going over them more and more. During his many nights  _ alone _ , he would stay up, and think of how to approach Hulk in their next session together.

 

“Anything else? Like, what did it look like? Or, who was there?”

 

“Man, there's a man. Angry man, who hits me,” Hulk grunted. His fists clenched, and Thor hesitated only a moment before continuing his line of questioning. 

 

“Who is this man?”

 

Hulk shook his head. His breathing seemed to get harder. 

 

“I don't know.”

 

Thor sat up, and leaned towards him. 

 

“Why was he hitting you?”

 

“I don't know. I don't know,” Hulk said. His hands went up to grasp his head. 

 

Despite the agitation that was clear in Hulk’s voice, Thor couldn't be bothered as he pressed on further. 

 

“Come on, Hulk, think. Why was there a man hitting you? Who was this man? Why is this your first memory?” Thor pressed on. 

 

“I don't know! I—aaaaargh!”

 

Thor watched as Hulk’s skin appeared to lighten, and his size diminished. Flecks of familiar white hair curled in with the black. Hulk flickered back and forth between his appearances before finally returning to his normal size. 

 

But Thor had seen all he needed to.

 

Weeks of guilt weighing on him seemed to lift from his shoulders. His body seemed to move autonomously as he jumped up from his seat. The pad and pen in his lap clattered on the floor, overlapped by the sound of his excitement.

 

“Yes! Banner lives! He's in there somewhere! Wooooh!” 

 

Thor was so enveloped in his own triumph that he did not notice the swing of Hulk’s fist coming at him. What he did notice was the impact of his entire body hitting the wall. 

 

“Thor is puny therapist. Bad friend too!” Hulk said as he came towards Thor again. 

 

Thor scrambled to his feet, and took up a defensive stance just in time to deflect Hulk’s next swing. 

 

“Hulk, stop! We can't damage the ship,” Thor pleaded. He struggled to keep Hulk’s arm at a distance, and felt his feet push back underneath him from the force. 

 

“Don’t care! Thor is bad friend!”

 

Thor dodged another fist that pushed a dent into the wall. 

 

“Me? What did I do? I'm trying to help you, Hulk!” Thor spit back. 

 

“Trying to make me go away!” Hulk exclaimed as he pulled his fist back for another swing. 

 

Thor readied himself to block it when Brunnhilde stepped right in front of him. For once, she did not hold a bottle in her hand. Her hands held up Hulk’s fist mid-punch, and Thor was sure she was smiling. 

 

“Woah there, big guy. I see that therapy isn't going too well?” She said. 

 

Hulk huffed before pulling back his fist. “No, Thor is puny therapist and bad friend!”

 

“Yeah I know he is, bud,” Brunnhilde said as she turned to shake her head at Thor. She winked when Thor gave her a confused look. “How about we leave him to his puniness and toss around some of the empty crates in storage.”

 

Hulk hummed a noise of satisfaction before he exited the room, not even sparing Thor a last glance.

 

“You go on ahead, big guy! I'll be there in a minute,” Brunnhilde said as she moved towards Thor. 

 

When Hulk was out of sight, she turned her gaze on Thor. Her arms were akimbo, and she was giving him  _ that look.  _ The one that was like,  _ why are you such a mess _ ?

 

It didn't really matter, because there was only one thought in Thor’s mind.

 

“So how's Lo-” Thor started, before getting cut off by Brunnhilde.

 

“He's fine.”

 

“Oh.” Thor rubbed at his neck, and did not meet her gaze anymore. “Yeah, I was just wondering because, uh, he just moved out so abruptly, and I haven't seen him in like a while…like a week or so, and two days...three hours…” he trailed off as he tried to casually stare at the ceiling. 

 

“Subtlety does not suit you. Loki  _ is _ avoiding you to answer the question you actually want to ask.” Brunnhilde put up a hand before Thor spoke again, adding, “And yes, it probably does have to do with the fact that you two slept together. Multiple times. In public too.”

 

“I don't understand.” Thor threw his hands up and began to pace, not caring how ridiculous he probably looked in front of Brunnhilde. “I mean, I thought we were great, even better than great! For the first time in a long time, I was happy and able to forget about how terribly I'm doing at everything. What we were doing was for the greater good even!” 

 

When he finished, he was met with a raised brow from Brunnhilde. She sighed eventually and shook her head. “Do you actually love him?”

 

It was the question that had roiled inside Thor's mind for weeks now. It made him reevaluate all their interactions for the entirety of their past thousand years together, and it all came to one conclusion. 

 

“I have always loved Loki. I may not have always known or been as sure as I am now, but I have always loved Loki as brother, friend, and whatever else he will allow us to be.” Thor knew his words were true. He didn't even care that his response was so sappy and cliche that Brunnhilde was rolling her eyes at him.

 

“Loki isn't like you. Things are not so straight and simple to him…you want my advice?”

 

Thor nodded, sure that his desperation was clearly written across his face. Once again, Loki was out of his reach, and he wasn't sure how to get to him. Even after being the closest they had been, Loki felt the farthest away from him since they started this journey. 

 

No doubt his brother was doing good. It was obvious from the improved state of the ship, but perhaps Loki would always remain a Catch-22 to Thor. A person that was just impossible for Thor to understand. 

 

“Loki will always be doubtful and hesitant, no matter what you do,” Brunnhilde said as she moved closer to him. She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders. “So, just be yourself, and be honest with Loki about how you feel. Otherwise, he's going to assume the worst anyways.”

 

After, Brunnhilde took her leave, mentioning how she had another big, green problem of his to solve for him. Thor was left standing dumbstruck.

 

Norns, he was an idiot sometimes. 

 

?#@*&%! 

 

One of the lessons in seidr Loki had learned as a child from Frigga was the ability to communicate with all living things. It wasn't so much an actual verbal or physical idea. More like releasing one’s own presence and making other living beings aware of it. 

 

Loki knew the plants were aware of him. 

 

It had been two weeks into his little garden project on the ship, and he had decided that the plants needed a little encouragement to grow. 

 

Encouragement…also known as fear. 

 

Loki went around the garden every day and hummed snide remarks at the plants. “Hm, looking a little brown aren't we?” He had said while holding up one of the plant’s leaves. 

 

At one point, Loki had picked out one of the smaller plants and paraded it around the garden. 

 

“Say goodbye to your friend, everyone. He was just too small to make the cut.”

 

When he had returned, he carried only an emptied out pot, which he set out somewhere visible. By the start of the third week, Loki was pleased to see an increased growth rate in the plants. 

 

The plants were very aware of Loki's presence, and they were terrified. 

 

The idea to make the ship self-sustainable was an inevitable, but still brilliant, one that Loki was proud to work on. Not only did it help with padding their meager rations, but it also created several new jobs. Loki had used the second largest observation deck to ensure they could plant as many crops as possible, and he needed dedicated farmers who would tend to the area around the clock. 

 

Most important though was that it managed to keep Loki occupied and distracted from almost anything else. 

 

“So, how long do you plan on avoiding Your Majesty?” Brunnhilde said from her reclined spot beside Loki. 

 

Except when Brunnhilde decided to be a nosy drunk. 

 

“I'm not avoiding him,” Loki snapped. He was in a squat position on the floor as he checked the leaves of a plant, which seemed to be trying to look as big as it could under Loki’s scrutiny. “I'm just busy. In case you can't tell, I'm trying to save the whole ship from starving, and possibly brew you more alcohol, since that's soon to disappear at the rate you're going at.”

 

“I'm not slowing down, so keep tending the plants,” Brunnhilde urged with a motion of her hand. “And I’m only wondering how much longer you plan on rooming with me.”

 

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s hard for me to believe you hold any complaints with me as a roommate, considering the state of luxury I’ve put the both of us in.” 

 

Brunnhilde rolled her eyes at him and went for another chug from her bottle. Loki turned back to the terrified plant in front of him, sharpening his gaze at it. Eventually, he heard Brunnhilde excuse herself, claiming boredom was about to kill her. She reminded him to meet her in the mess hall after he was done with his duties. 

 

The plant Loki had been focused on soon exhaled a breath of oxygen when Loki decided, after twenty minutes of silence, that he wasn’t going to get anymore work done for the day and exited the garden. 

 

As he walked toward the mess hall, Loki busied himself with the thoughts that he had not allowed himself to think about for weeks. 

 

He knew he would have to face Thor eventually. It was inevitable with the work they were doing on the ship, but it was also inevitable that Thor would not keep his words to business. That was what terrified Loki. 

 

What would Thor say? What if the sex meant nothing? What if it meant something?

 

Loki decided that the latter sentiment was worse. Thor was nothing if not impulsive. Sure, he could say he was in love one second, but could change his mind the next. Just the thought of the disappointment he could imagine himself feeling caused a flash of anger in Loki’s mind. How could he allow himself to feel so defeated by Thor again?

 

The thought kept continually stabbing at his mind as he continued down the hall. He halted when he heard an uncharacteristic gasp from a familiar voice. He did his best not to run away when he realised it was Thor. 

 

“Loki,” Thor said in a hoarse voice that brought inappropriate memories to Loki’s mind. 

 

It was then that his feet began to work. Loki quickly turned, ready to just return to his cabin and starve for the night, when he paused at Thor’s voice again. 

 

“Loki, wait, please.” He sounded desperate. Loki cursed his own weakness. 

 

“What do you want?” Loki asked. He tried to bring out that edge to his voice that he used to have when he struck fear in his enemies. It didn’t come out that way, and Loki realised he really was out of practice. 

 

“I just, wanted to say something.” Thor’s hands fisted at his side. “Things I should have said sooner.” 

 

Loki steeled himself. He stood akimbo and jutted his chin out in defiance. “Well, go on then, Thor. You know I don’t have time for all your theatrics.”

 

There was silence between them, and Loki knew it was shorter than it felt. Thor’s gaze pierced Loki’s, as if to make sure he was going to get across the full effect of what he was going to say. 

 

“I love you.”

 

Damn him, Loki thought. He nodded his head. His first step away was interrupted by Thor’s hands raised up in protest.  

 

“Hear me out, brother.” Thor took a step towards him, and Loki did his best not to step back. He refused to step down. It would reveal to Thor everything he didn’t want him to see. 

 

“I know things have always been complicated between us, but I’m trying to fix that now.” Loki wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, but there seemed to be a slight tightness to Thor’s jaw. He could not distinguish whether or not it was Thor’s breathing that was unsteady or his own. He entertained the idea that it was both of them. 

 

Nevertheless, Thor continued, “Any problems we may still have can be solved, Loki. I’ve found out recently that talking things out does seem to work, at least to some degree. Whatever issues lie between us though, I know we can work out. I love you, and I always have…It’s something I should have admitted to both of us sooner, but I’m admitting it now. I don’t want you to leave me again, brother.”

 

Loki wasn’t sure when it happened, but Thor’s hands were holding his and raising them up to his lips. Before the kiss was sealed across his knuckles though, Thor locked his gaze on Loki’s again. 

 

“And even if you run away again, Loki, know that I will always be waiting. You will always have me to return to. When you are no longer scared, I will be here.” 

 

Loki drew back his hands in a violent gesture. Thor’s words were no longer registering with him as he ran past him down the hall.

 

?#@*&%! 

 

The cackle of Brunnhilde’s laugh echoed through the room. She slammed her glass down and collapsed in a fit over the table. 

 

Loki watched on beside her with a disapproving gaze.

 

“Are you finished?” 

 

A snort completed Brunnhilde’s outburst of laughter. “Oh, don’t be so serious. Isn’t this what you wanted?” 

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Well, from what I've heard of your exploits, everything you've done up till now has been to make yourself his equal hasn't it? Now you've got him practically groveling at your feet to stay. Isn't that one step above everything you've ever wanted?” She downed another glass immediately after she finished. 

 

Was this what Loki wanted? No, it couldn't be. It was never that simple. 

 

“Thor…is rash. Plus, his judgement has shown to be rather impaired as of late. How can I trust whatever he says to me now? He has always been known for his short-lived affairs,” Loki said. Something in him stung as he spoke though. “And I, for one, will not be degrading myself just for Thor's temporary amusement and pleasure.”

 

His eyes returned to meet Brunnhilde’s, but found her previous amusement all but sapped away. 

 

“What?” Loki snapped, taking up his glass again. 

 

She sighed and shrugged. Her lips touched the rim of her glass as she spoke, “It sounds like you've got to reevaluate some things, mate.” 

 

Loki bristled, but ignored her and continued to chug away.

 

?#@*&%!

 

Loki jolted awake. His ears rang with the piercing noise of the ship's alarms system. He remained upright, despite the amount of alcohol still in his body making it hurt to do so. 

 

Brunnhilde was still slumped over his lap on the same table in the dining hall they had been drinking at earlier. Norns, it had been two centuries since the last time he had gotten this incapacitated from drink. 

 

Red coated the room. The alarm had begun to flash, and Loki was still self-preserving enough to stand up at its signal. He wobbled as he tried to steady himself. Brunnhilde fell with a thud against the table, and a groan emitted out of her. 

 

“Brunnhilde! Get up! The ship must be under attack,” He said as he frantically shook her shoulder. 

 

She responded in nothing but burbles of dream-filled words. 

 

Loki groaned in frustration, but began the process of lifting her from the table. With some unsteadiness, he secured her onto his back, and exited the dining hall at last. 

 

“You'll owe me for this if we survive,” He muttered as he moved down the hall at the fastest possible speed he could go at with an impediment on his back. 

 

He heard a moan from behind him in response. 

 

The ship seemed to delve into further chaos as they neared the navigation deck. Asgardians ran through the halls; all with different tasks. Some tried to guide children, while others carried their valuables. Some were even armed with a determined, yet clueless look on their faces. 

 

Loki decided that required him to step in. 

 

“Anyone who is armed able to fight, move to the main haul! Everyone else return to your rooms! You are the safest there!” Loki yelled into the crowded hall.

 

People began to guide themselves to his words following some hesitation. Loki readjusted Brunnhilde on his back and entered the navigation deck. Korg, Heimdall, Thor, and few of the engineers were already there. They only gave Loki a moment of stare before giving him the benefit of the doubt. Not that they needed to tell him what was going on, because from the observation deck window, Loki could see the battleship in front of them. 

 

“A Chitauri fleet has appeared in front of us,” Heimdall said. “We are deciding our course of action.”

 

“We must fight it. No doubt, they will be trying to board the ship,” Thor said. Loki detected the gravity in his voice, and he understood. How could Thor not feel kind of hopeless at the moment, when it seemed like he had to ask his people to put their lives on the line once again after just settling down. 

 

“Are you sure there's no way to talk to them? Perhaps just see what they want, and negotiate,” Korg said, shrugging. 

 

“There is no negotiating with those barbaric creatures,” Thor responded. 

 

Loki set Brunnhilde down on a seat against the wall. When he turned, he caught Heimdall's gaze, who seemed to be in deep thought. It seemed to don on him what must be done, and Loki resigned himself to the truth being spoken. 

 

“I know what they are here for.” Thor paused at Heimdall's words. “They must detect the Tesseract’s presence aboard the ship.”

 

“How can that be? The Tesseract was destroyed, or at the very least, lost in Ragnarok,” Thor said. 

 

Now, Thor could be slow at times, but even Loki knew he wasn't an idiot. Loki began to steel himself for an oncoming attack for that very reason. 

 

“Unless,” Thor turned to Loki. It took a long time before he spoke again, and when he did his words came out in a growl. “Loki.”

 

Loki took measured steps backwards as Thor went towards him. “Now, Thor, wait. I might be able to offer a solution to our current predicament.”

 

“The Tesseract is too powerful to trade to the likes of the Chitauri,” Thor said. His presence was just beginning to crowd Loki’s when Heimdall spoke again. 

 

“I would advise on listening to your brother this time. What we have been working on could ensure our safety and that we will not have to trade the Tesseract at all,” Heimdall said.

 

Thor paused. He turned back to Heimdall, and Loki could only imagine his face. It had been a millennia since the last time Heimdall agreed with Loki. He was sure this reaction was coming as a shock to Thor. 

 

“You mean you have known about my brother's thievery?” Thor asked. The hurt was crystal clear in his voice. 

 

“Oh no, trouble in the family,” Korg commented quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Loki could see him put his stones hands up to his mouth as if in surprise. 

 

Heimdall steeled himself. “He approached me for aid on breaking the containment of the Tesseract so that we might use the Space Stone within to transport the entire ship,” he said. 

 

Thor looked between him and Loki. His gaze remained hard, but he straightened himself and spoke again. “Heimdall, Korg, begin preparing for attack. Take Brunnhilde with you and see if you can wake her. We need every warrior we have. I must talk with my brother, and then I will join you.”

 

Heimdall and Korg nodded in silence. They did as instructed and carried Brunnhilde out together. 

 

“Oh, I know a trick to wake her up. You just need a bit of fish and a slipper,” Korg said as they left.

 

Loki bristled once it remained only the two of them. His eyes stayed on Thor the entire time, watching every movement as he approached him with measured steps. 

 

“Brother. You hold the Tesseract, then?”

 

Without any words, Loki decided to present the Tesseract. With a flick of his hand the cube appeared, floating gently in his palm. Thor eyed it and something seemed to wash over him. 

 

“Would you be able to use the stone to transport us now?” He asked. His voice seemed strained. 

 

“The stone remains partly encased,” Loki answered. Thor turned to him with a weary eye. 

 

“How long would it take for you to break it?”

 

“As long as you can give me.”

 

There was hesitation written across his face. Although he wasn't expecting any less, Loki’s face hardened at the thought that Thor did not seem to trust his abilities. 

 

“Every second is wasted as you hesitate, Thor. Shall I perform the task?”

 

Thor's hands were suddenly around his shoulders, and Thor was suddenly closer than before. His presence was crowding again, and Loki took a sharp intake of breath before Thor spoke.

 

“Why, brother?” 

 

Loki knew what Thor was asking. Yet, the lies did not seem to spin on his tongue. 

 

“Loki, why did you take the Tesseract?” Thor growled. His grip was firm, but they shook Loki with their own shaking. Thor’s gaze pierced him to the spot, and he leaned only closer and closer. “I don't understand why you must always run from me.”

 

Sometimes, there were words that Thor spoke that did not align with every belief Loki knew to be true. Whenever this occurred, he had to remind himself about what a liar Thor was. Things were never as hopeful as he said they'd be.  

 

Thor might say he wanted Loki to stop running, but what would happen if he stopped chasing him? What would they do? It wasn't realistic to think they could just be happy and together. No, there would always be something, and Loki didn't want to face that other something when he's already used to the way they've always been. 

 

“Brother, just remember that I will always wait for you,” Thor whispered. His gaze seemed to be searching for something, but Loki simply nodded. Thor looked between Loki and the Tesseract, before turning away to exit the deck.  

 

?#@*&%!

 

When he was younger, Loki would often perform great feats of sorcery for the sole purpose of research and practice. In those days, Frigga had often been by his side. There was always that grand feeling of pride in creating the spectacular. 

 

Now, as he whacked away at the Tesseract without any grace, he tried to recall that feeling. All Loki found though was desperation wrapped up in a memory of not death on a ship he never thought he’d escape. He pushed his seidr harder around the cube. There were some things he would not wish to subject upon anyone.

 

A loud crack sounded through the room and revealed itself on one of the sides of the Tesseract. Almost all at once, more cracks began to appear, and Loki shielded himself from the blast of the Space Stone freeing itself from its last confines. A blue light flashed throughout the room, overpowering the bright red alarm light of the ship. 

 

“Oh great, now all that’s left is the hard part,” Loki said to himself. 

 

He approached the floating stone carefully. It seemed to gravitate towards him, but every step he took towards it felt harder and harder. His breath became strained, and his motions were slow. 

 

Lifting his hands, they enclosed around the stone. Almost as if they were meant to be there, the stone and his body seemed to connect. Then there was an overwhelming surge through his body. It was the same surge he got from wielding the Mind Stone all those years ago, yet the energy of the Space Stone was distinctly different. It seemed to bestow upon him all it's abilities all at once, and ask whether or not he was worthy. 

 

_ You think you may wield me so easily, Loki, God of Mischief, Prince of Asgard, Son of Odin, and Runt of Jotunheim?  _

 

At any other time in his life before this, he would doubt. He would contemplate transporting himself somewhere far away, and letting Thor deal with the aftermath of his selfishness. But the image of Thor’s face defeated after so many losses returned to him, and he could not bring himself to even considering stepping away from this. 

 

_ Why do you call upon my powers, Loki? You think your cause worthy enough? _

 

No matter what would happen when they arrived, Loki would do this last grace for Thor. Whether or not they would ever be equals doesn't matter anymore. After all their time together, Loki just wanted to see Thor finally at peace. 

 

“It's my fault we are in this mess. Now, I need to fix this. For him.”

 

The stone was silent for a moment. Loki turned to the screens that showed the different parts of the ship. He watched as Thor and the others fended off the first row of Chitauri that managed to board the ship. His hands closed in on the invisible resistance the stone placed around itself, and he pushed hard against it.

 

_ So be it.  _

 

A flash of blue light exploded from the stone. Then the silence settled in. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Catch Twenty-Loki: Does Loki turn out to be a super badass sorcerer? Does the ship managed to escape imminent doom? As always, Loki will be in a Mood, Thor will be too, Hulk might be as well, but at least Brunnhilde is still just looking for the nearest source of booze. 
> 
> I've decided not to include my outlines anymore, because now their just so ridiculously long and messy haha. 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is slightly shorter than both of the other chapters, but I promise that there is more to come! I actually did a complete overhaul of the original plot I had, because it was baaaaad. But if the chapter seems different in tone from the rest, it's probably because of that, and the fact that I haven't worked on this in so long that I write it differently now. Okay, anyways I'm rambling. 
> 
> Until next time, good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!


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